Golf notebook: Yang grabs lead in Kraft Nabisco

Friday

Amy Yang shot a 6-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Lindsey Wright in the opening round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Amy Yang shot a 6-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Lindsey Wright in the opening round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Yani Tseng was third at 68, ending the top-ranked player’s streak of eight consecutive rounds with the lead. The five-time major champion has won two straight tournaments and three of five this season. Yang and Wright have never won on the LPGA Tour.

Yang, 22, made five birdies in seven holes around the turn at Mission Hills, using a steady putting stroke to take the early lead in the first major of the year.

Wearing oversized sunglasses even while putting, Michelle Wie opened with a 73. Defending champion Stacy Lewis had four consecutive bogeys in a 74.

Wright’s 67, with five birdies on the back nine of the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, is another positive step in the 32-year-old Australian’s comeback from depression and anxiety. After quitting golf for the final four months of last year, Wright returned with a victory in the New Zealand Women’s Open last month.

“It wasn’t a great time, and I just couldn’t really get through it,” Wright said. “It’s hard to explain other than from a physical standpoint. People think, ‘Depression, oh, just get over it.’ It really impacts you physically, and playing on this tour, grinding it out each week when you’re not sleeping and you can’t concentrate or focus, it just gets you down, and it’s a bit of a nightmare."

Yang chipped in from the fringe for birdie on the 13th hole, highlighting a strong start at Mission Hills for the former teen sensation.

“Everything was working well,” Yang said. “I think especially my putting was better than other tournaments. I had a couple of shots that went into the trees and it was hard to play, but I had some good par saves and good birdie putts.”

PGA Tour

Angel Cabrera and Carl Pettersson each shot a 7-under 65 to set the pace in the Houston Open in Humble, Texas, before the first round was suspended because of bad weather.

Only 51 players completed their rounds before thunderstorms arrived in the afternoon. The tournament had not been delayed by weather since 2009.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Ernie Els, who needs a victory to qualify for next week’s Masters, were still playing their front nines when play was suspended.

The first round will resume this morning.

Ricky Barnes and Jeff Maggert completed their rounds and were one shot off the lead. Brian Harman was 6 under with three holes left in his round.

PGA European Tour

Peter Lawrie of Ireland leads the Sicilian Open by a stroke after shooting an 8-under 64 in the opening round in Sciacca, Sicily.

Lawrie had nine birdies and a bogey at the Verdura Golf and Spa Resort.

Jamie Donaldson of Wales had five birdies and an eagle in a 65 to share second with Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark and Tano Goya of Argentina.

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